Esusu is a financial technology and data platform that is transforming financial health, identity services, and inclusive decision-making for individuals and businesses. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Esusu’s VP of Product, Ruchika Gupta Truitt, to gain a deeper understanding of the company.
Ruchika Gupta Truitt’s Background
What is Ruchika Gupta Truitt’s background? Truitt said:
“My career began as an analyst in Washington D.C., where I consulted for various Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Education (DOE) programs, assisting retailers in marketing and selling energy-efficient products.”
“Before joining Esusu, I spent many years at Amazon in various product management and leadership roles. My favorite role was expanding people’s ability to use their government SNAP EBT benefits as a payment method online to buy groceries and essentials. I also spent a few years managing global product roadmaps focused on Amazon’s Worldwide Consumer Payments business, expanding and enhancing gifting and stored valued product lines.”
“Throughout my career, I have been passionate about creating inclusive and impactful products that drive financial access, and empower financial stability and mobility. Beyond the ‘day job’ I’m a mom to two girls, a board member of my local family resource center and food bank, a seed investor supporting the University of Washington’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and a proud University of Southern California & University of Washington alum.”
“At Esusu, I drive Esusu’s product strategy to advance our vision of using data to bridge the racial wealth gap. With 45 million Americans considered ‘credit invisible,’ our goal is to reduce financial inequality and empower renters to build credit and improve their financial health.”
“In my role, I collaborate with engineering, design, and marketing teams to innovate and deliver solutions that address real-world financial challenges. From shaping our product roadmap to managing offerings, my focus is on creating impactful products that serve the needs of our communities.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Truitt reflected:
“As cheesy as it sounds, my favorite memories are getting to know the people I work with on a daily basis. Even in a remote world, you can feel the passion and grit every single Esusu employee exemplifies in their commitment to solving financial inequities.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Truitt explained:
“Our core offering is a set of renter financial health services and programs offered to property managers in our Esusu Communities Network, including rent reporting, a rental eviction loan program, social impact data insights and analytics, and a residential health platform. Since launching, Esusu has scaled rapidly, with 5 million units in our network.”
“In the last 18 months, we have grown our residential health platform significantly, making it available to renters in Esusu Communities on iOS, Android, and the web. The platform includes a Credit Score Hub where you can view your credit score for free, view score history, and understand the factors impacting your score, as well rent reporting to build your credit score, a vetted Toolkit with free renter and financial resources, a Marketplace with unique offers across auto, renting, retail, homebuying, and more. Most recently, we added AI-based tax estimation and filing in our Tax Hub and free personalized financial coaching.”
“In the last year, we’ve also launched a new direct-to-consumer subscription bringing credit building to anyone across America who wants to build their score. The myEsusu subscription offers rent reporting as well as our Toolkit and Marketplace for $10 a month.”
“We’re also expanding into new enterprise offerings aimed at embedding rent reporting as a white-label solution and advancing homeownership by providing rental data as an alternative form of data in underwriting and lending.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges has Truitt and the team faced in building the company? Truitt acknowledged:
“Esusu has built a strong reputation in the real estate industry, forging impactful partnerships with key property owners, operators, and developers. Now, we’re bringing that expertise and trust to consumers. As a newcomer in the D2C market, we face the business challenge of building awareness and credibility with a new audience. Bigger than that, however, is the challenge every day individuals still face with high prices, barriers to accessing quality and fairly priced financial products, and a financial system that is confusing and benefits the few. Despite so much progress in the financial technology industry, we still have a long way to go before every American can get access to lines of credit that are not predatorily priced or can truly move towards homeownership.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since its launch? Truitt noted:
“When Esusu first started serving real-estate customers, we were a small, scrappy start-up focused on one process: rent reporting. Everything was built for that singular purpose, and we became experts in that function. While rent reporting remains core to what we do, we’ve since evolved our product, technology, and capabilities significantly to encompass the financial health platform I described earlier, with multiple applications and product lines and the ability to scale and process millions of data points. We’re investing in machine learning, AI, and alternative data to advance alternative data and help people build equitable financial identities.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Truitt cited:
“Soon after raising our series B in 2022, we launched the Positive Reporting Pilot program in partnership with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which paved the way for us to significantly expand to over 50% of the major multi-family housing owners and operators. A year later, we surpassed reporting on our first 1 million renters and disbursing our first $10 million in rent relief funds.”
“Throughout 2023 and 2024, we expanded our capabilities to support rent reporting for single family, manufactured, student housing, and more. By the end of 2024, we had established over 200,000 credit scores for the first time, grown people’s scores an average of 45 points, and saw our renters go on to access over $50 billion in new lines of credit. And just most recently, we acquired Celeri, to revolutionize fraud prevention in housing.”
Customer Success Stories
When asking Truitt about customer success stories, she highlighted:
“One of the stories that sticks with me is David’s, a renter from Iowa. David always dreamed of owning his own home but never thought he’d see that dream come to fruition. He and his wife were trying to do a lot with very little, struggling to find work, and fighting to keep his wife’s son in a custody battle that largely had to do with the fact that they lived in a trailer park.”
“When David was promoted, they were able to move into a new apartment and began reporting their on-time rent payments through Esusu – and within months, his credit score increased by over 200 points. David’s new score unlocked doors for him and his family and he was ultimately able to buy his first house. It’s stories like this that remind me why we do this and the tangible impact Esusu can have on the lives of working families traditionally left behind by the credit system.”
Funding
When asking Truitt about the company’s funding details, she revealed:
“Esusu raised a $130 million Series B in January 2022, which propelled us to become one of the first Black-owned tech unicorns in the United States.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Truitt assessed:
“As Esusu continues to expand our direct-to-consumer product, we’re focused on supporting the hundreds of millions of American renters often underserved by the financial system and any business interested in improving the financial health of their employees and communities. Through our partnerships with institutional landlords, we’ve reached a significant portion of the multifamily housing market and are exploring additional services to better serve renters across diverse housing segments and income levels.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Truitt affirmed:
“Our approach and commitment is to everyday renters. As a company founded by immigrants and with diverse employees and leadership, we understand firsthand the struggles and triumphs of the American financial system. We want everyone to have the financial access they deserve, and our products, services, and programs reflect that commitment. Most fintechs will tell you they believe in the same thing, but we actually embody it – our North Star guides us to ensure our products and services do no harm and truly benefit people.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Truitt emphasized:
“As housing affordability and financial health continue to be top priorities nationwide, we’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of equipping individuals with the tools to build stability and unlock opportunity. So far, Esusu has helped nearly 200,000 renters establish a credit score and increased pre-existing scores by 46 points on average. As a result, renters have unlocked close to $50 billion in capital via new credit tradelines, accessing nearly $30 million in mortgage loans.”
“Looking ahead, we remain committed to adding value for renters, championing human potential, and giving people the opportunity to succeed. As we continue to build our D2C platform, we’re also focused on strengthening our commitment to our B2B customers and offering new services that address their needs.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Truitt concluded:
“2025 is poised to be a transformative year for financial equity and technological innovation. As the policy landscape shifts to better prioritize credit inequality and new banking technologies emerge, the convergence of fintech, AI, and policy shifts will reshape access to financial services. For communities long underserved by traditional banking systems, this represents a critical moment of potential transformation.”
“Whether securing housing, launching businesses, or building generational wealth, technology and policy are creating unprecedented opportunities to redefine financial inclusion. The coming years will be pivotal, demanding that companies act as true allies to those historically marginalized in the financial ecosystem.”
